I have seen a couple of cruises I might be interested in with Hurtigruten cruises.They cruise along the Norway coast stopping at several towns along the way.

Has anyone on here been on one of these cruises ?

I am looking at feb which is not the warmest of months but the scenery should be great.I am mainly interested in 2 ships.....Nordlys & Nordstjernen.

Does anyone on here have any experience of cruising with Hurtigruten ? I am a bit concerned as these are very small ships and I believe the Nordstjernen has no stabilisers and am wondering if you can feel the ships movement alot in rough water.

Would appreciate any help you can give me.

(I have also made a post in German on the german speaking board in case someone who doesn't speak english can help )

The Nordstjernen is the oldest ship and really something for lovers of more historic ships.
It is built in 1956 (but updated in 2000) and has just 149 beds.
The ship is under protection like a national monument. (I think to remember, that the cabins Kat D on deck B have no private bathrooms)http://www.norwegische-postschiffe.d...dstjernen2.htm

The Nordlys can accomodate 475 passengers, cabins are modern, with bathroom (shower, toilet, small sink). It looks more like a cruise ship, but has no pool or Spa or other "fancy" things.
We enjoyed our trip very much - we travelled during October, had lots of snow, very clear sky, Nordkap in sunny light (very rare in the summer!) and we saw the polarlight.

I recommend a trip during winter time very much - it is a unique experience and much more peaceful than during the overcrowded summer.

Thank you wendy & sandy for your imput.I was aware about the name change and knew a bit about the ships.I already knew that they are nothing like the larger ships but the sort of thing I am trying to find out are questions like :
I was wondering how sociable these smaller ships are and wonder as they are very small ships do people tend to mix and chat a bit more in the panaramic viewing lounges or do they keep themselves to themselves.
Are the majority of those sailing, Norwegians or is there a mixture of nationalities ( I'm happy to travel with any nationality but its useful to know because if they are mainly norwegian I would try to learn a few words )
Is any vibration noticable at the back of the ship ? How rough is the sea likely to be in february ?
Besides the main itinerary port,the ships stop at more than one town for a very short time .....are passengers allowed off the ship ?
I am aware that not all cabins have a bathroom & toilet and would like imput as to whether they found it ok sharing bathroom & toilet with other passengers.
Also would be useful to know if the ships get very full in feb but I remember wendy suggested it might be peaceful at this sort of time.
As I said I am considering a cruise on one of these two ships and am aware that it will be different from any cruise I've experienced so far which is why I'm trying to find out as much as i can from those who have sailed with this line along the norway coast.
thanks jack